Sustainability

Many Australians live in substandard housing, but what can we actually do to improve thermal performance and reduce our energy bills?

Priya Gandhi, M.AIRAH, took the trip of a lifetime to Antarctica in 2023. Laura Timberlake speaks to her about the lessons she learned.

As temperatures around the world soar, the question is not just how to stop global warming, but how humans can survive.

The Wings is set to be the first office building in Belgium to generate its own geothermal energy and consume no fossil fuel.

Architect and biomimicry professional Jane Toner shares with us the principles of biophilia and the importance of designing buildings that are attuned and responsive to their natural surroundings.

Ambitious sustainable targets have been set by the host nation for the Paris 2024 Olympics to reduce the Games’ carbon footprint by half.

Should there be a green light for nuclear energy in Australia? Definitively no, writes Ian Kenins.

Living green walls can improve aesthetics, add a soothing touch of greenery to a space and lift our moods. But can they have a material impact on indoor air quality? Nick Johns-Wickberg investigates.

Geothermal cooling is relatively underdeveloped in Australia, but as Ecolibrium staff writer Nick Johns-Wickberg discovers, its potential is huge.

Playing predominantly out of MyState Bank Arena in Hobart, the Tasmania JackJumpers have, in just two seasons, quickly become one of the National Basketball League’s premier teams. Sean McGowan reports on the award-winning redevelopment of the venue, which took place ahead of the team’s debut in late 2021.

An historic Melbourne precinct has experienced a complete reinvigoration that has not only attracted new clients, but returned some of the city’s most spectacular heritage spaces to the public.

This paper presents a techno-economic evaluation of a phase change material (PCM) thermal battery (TB) system developed through an industry-university cooperation project.

The race is on to reduce embodied carbon in buildings and construction. But as more organisations take up the challenge, coordination is key.

In a net zero world, it doesn’t matter whether we divide emissions by headcount or square meterage. By any measure, the balance of emissions must be the same. Zero.

In California’s capital city, a 1940s building has been re-lifed, aiming to create strong ties between nature and the local community.

City of Melbourne chief heat officer Krista Milne talks with Ecolibrium staff writer Nick Johns-Wickberg about managing extreme heat in urban settings.

It’s like a jungle sometimes, but is the grass always greener for buildings that boast green walls and roofs? Laura Timberlake explores.

Designed by Elenberg Fraser 6 Charles Street, or C6, has been and is being developed by Grange Development. It primarily consists of residential apartments, although the plans also include a 500m2 edible rooftop garden and dining and entertainment spaces. Residents will also have access to a car-share scheme that includes 80 Tesla electric vehicles.

As a result of the increased contribution of renewable energy for electricity generation and rising gas prices, there has been a shift from natural gas to electric-based heating in recent times. Commonly used electric heating technologies in the built environment include electric resistance, and air- or water-source heat pumps (hereafter known as “conventional heat pumps”). However, a key concern in the industry has been the use of refrigerants that have high Global Warming Potential (GWP) and other refrigerants that are flammable and/or toxic.  

The owners of a Passivhaus residential development in Melbourne’s inner suburbs have adopted a pragmatic approach to design, ensuring the best possible outcome on a site overshadowed by neighbouring buildings. Sean McGowan reports.